The maker of OxyContin faces more than 1,000 lawsuits from cities, counties and states

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP has hired restructuring lawyers at Davis Polk & Wardwell as it grapples with mounting litigation over its alleged role in fueling the opioid epidemic, people familiar with the matter said.

The company, owned by the Sackler family, faces more than 1,000 lawsuits brought by cities, counties and states that claim the company, along with other drugmakers, misled the public about the addictive nature of their opioid painkillers. The lawsuits seek to recoup the cost of opioid addiction borne...